London – Farah Kazmi: High Commissioner Moazzam Ahmad Khan, who is also Pakistan’s authorised representative to the Commonwealth, represented Pakistan at the annual Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting conducted virtually today on behalf of Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Moazzam Ahmad Khan informed the meeting about Pakistan’s perspective on Commonwealth problems such as climate change, trade, and pandemic preparedness.
The High Commissioner expressed Pakistan’s perspective on the situation in Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan’s involvement in aiding evacuation and humanitarian relief efforts, in his address to Commonwealth Foreign Ministers.
He emphasized that, as the country most affected by Afghanistan’s decades-long insecurity, Pakistan has a significant stake in the country’s peace and stability. Pakistan has not only continued to host nearly 4 million Afghan refugees but has also endured 80,000 deaths and $ 150 billion in economic damages as a result of the conflict.
He also said that “there was finally an opportunity to put an end to the 40-year war in that country”.
“The humanitarian situation posed a challenge. Afghanistan stood on the brink of a catastrophe with 18 million Afghans in dire need of assistance. At the same time Afghan soil needed not to be used to harm any country,” he added.
He urged the international community to avoid abandoning Afghanistan and take a pragmatic approach”. He said that, “the nation should be assisted in walking steadfastly towards peace, progress, and prosperity at this vital time.”
The High Commissioner regretted that a state in South Asia is systemically targeting minorities, engineer illegal demographic change in dispute territories and igniting regional tensions to secure electoral gains.
He also insisted commonwealth play its role.
